Traditional 800 number phone service is supplied by a network provider to allow billing to be assumed by the called party. Typically, upon detecting an 800 number the network provider host computer communicates with an 800 server host via a Signalling System 7 (SS7) link that is external to and separate from normal voice links. The 800 server host maintains a data base of destination phone numbers that correspond to 800 numbers in order to look-up the corresponding destination phone number from the 800 number. In addition, the 800 server host data base includes information relating to destination phone numbers also as a function of time of day, geographical region of the originating call, etc. For example, an 800 number call placed between nine and five from Oregon to a catalog ordering number may be routed to a catalog ordering office in California. Another call to the same 800 number and at the same time but made from Delaware may be routed to a catalog ordering office in New Jersey. However, the same 800 number call placed at, for example, ten P.M. local time from either Oregon or Delaware may be routed to a catalog ordering office in Chicago, the Chicago office being the only office that is staffed 24 hours a day.
While providing the 800 number customer with a significant degree of flexibility and convenience the conventional 800 number call processing approach described above also presents several limitations. One such limitation is that the conventional 800 number call processing approach does not provide for a dynamic allocation of a destination phone number or phone numbers. For example, due to call overloading at one office or at one agent within an office it may be desirable to temporarily route further incoming 800 number calls to a different destination phone number. Another limitation is that the conventional 800 number call processing approach does not provide a capability to allocate a destination phone number based upon a caller's identity, as determined via Automatic Number Identification (ANI) from the caller's telephone number at the destination site.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for enhancing 800 number call processing at an 800 number customer's site.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for performing a dynamic allocation of destination phone numbers corresponding to an 800 number, the allocation being based upon such criteria as call loading or upon the identity of a caller as determined from the caller's telephone number and the 800 number called for service.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for denying at an 800 customer's site a pending 800 number call, the pending 800 number call being denied based upon criteria such as call loading or the identity of a caller as determined from the caller's telephone number.